


Things'll Get Brighter

by DawnsEternalLight



Category: Batman (Comics), Batman and Robin (Comics), DCU (Comics), Grayson (Comics), Robin: Son of Batman (Comics)
Genre: Angst, Bonding, Damian is Robin, Dick is a spy, Fluff, Gen, Reunion, post death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-04
Updated: 2017-08-04
Packaged: 2018-12-10 21:42:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,562
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11700444
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DawnsEternalLight/pseuds/DawnsEternalLight
Summary: Dick and Damian didn't have much time for a reunion when they first find out the other was alive. This is the reunion they should have had.





	Things'll Get Brighter

**Author's Note:**

> Set somewhere between Grayson 16 and Robin War.

Damian was confident he could recognize Grayson from any angle and in any disguise. Currently, he’d found his brother in Madrid, Spain, wearing the same Spyral uniform he'd seen him in less than two weeks prior when they’d both found out the other was alive. He was standing, with his back to Damian speaking with another man with dark skin and dark eyes, who carried himself much like Grayson did. In the crowded city square Damian had little reason to think the other man would consider him a threat. By the time he would even consider it Grayson should have already recognized Damian.

He didn’t really care who the other man was. Only that his brother was in reach at last, and Damian's tracking skills were of excellent use. He did not slow his rushed steps as he almost ran to his brother. The man he’d hardly had time to etch back into his memory again. The man he'd kept trying to convince himself really was alive and really had met with him earlier. He'd put his quest on hold, leaving Maya and Goliath to hunt down his errant brother for a proper reunion, one that wasn't bogged down with Grayson trying to clear his name or whatever it had been he'd been doing.

Though to tell himself the truth, Damian would have to admit it wasn't only for a reunion. In the months he'd been alive again he had lost the person he could go to for anything. With his fear and his worries. His weakness and his pain. And now that he had him back, the first place Damian ran to when overwhelmed was his brother.

“Grayson.” He announced, as he neared the men, letting the joy of finding him seep into his voice.

The man turned and Damian froze in place, his elation gone like smoke as he realized the man did not have his brother's face. This was not Grayson.

“I'm sorry. I must have mistook you—” he started, stepping back.

Before he could move further to retreat from his mistake, the man shot forward, closing the distance between them. He scooped Damian into his arms before he could think to retaliate. Just as he’d been shocked by the man not being Grayson, he was struck by the realization that it had to be. He knew this hold like his mother's and his father's. Better than theirs in fact. One did not forget the feeling of being hugged or carried by Dick Grayson. However, that did not explain the face.

He watched as the man’s, Dick’s, hand reach up toward his face and motioned before the unfamiliar features smoothed into ones Damian knew well, a bright smile lighting up his face.

“Sorry, kiddo. Spyral tech.” he said, that grin never leaving as he spoke. “I can’t believe you're here. How did you find me? What are you doing all the way out in Spain?”

Dick didn’t give Damian time to answer as he squished him closer. “I’m so glad to see you.”

“Grayson, put me down, you’ll suffocate me with your hugs, and get no answers.” Damian squirmed, happy enough to be held, but the man Grayson had been speaking to was giving them an odd look that made Damian uncomfortable with the display of affection, no matter how much he wanted it to go on.

Dick set him down and the moment his hands were gone Damian almost reached back out for him the loss was so great. He’d missed his brother so much. Instead he crossed his arms and frowned up at him.

“You did not make it easy to find you, Grayson. But once I knew you were alive I knew what to look for. It was a simple matter of examining security feed and narrowing down trouble areas that your secret organization might be interested in sending you.”

“Matron is slacking in her duties if that’s all it took for a boy to find us.” The other man said, reminding both of them of his presence.

“Tony, I want to you meet Damian.” Grayson had a hand on his shoulder as he turned Damian for his ally to see. “He's one of the greatest kids you’ll ever meet, and more than capable of hunting me down through anything, even Matron on her best day.” Pride, pure and simple, radiated off Grayson, and Damian knew his brother was making no efforts to hide exactly how he felt about him from this Tony.

The man’s face scrunched into a scowl directed solely at Grayson. “I have told you not to call me that.” he turned his attention to Damian, the scowl softening but not leaving his face. “I am Agent 1 or Tiger, whichever you would prefer. Your brother and I are busy, please come back at a different time. Preferably when we are not.”

“Don’t be so rude.” Dick said. “We’re not so busy that Damian can’t come with us. Then when we’re done, I think I’ll be taking a personal day.” he glanced down at Damian as he said this, eager excitement glittering in his eyes.

“We do not take personal days, Agent 37. You know this.” The man’s tone had turned to that of longsuffering and patience that waned on simply giving up. “Though, I do not believe I can dissuade you from doing whatever you like, so let us finish this mission before you do anything stupid.”

Damian grinned up at his brother. “I like him, Grayson. He has about as much patience with you as you deserve.”

“And here I was, excited to see you.” Dick huffed.

* * *

Dick was excited to see Damian. More than he’d let on with Tiger there. All he wanted to do with pick Damian back up and hold him forever, never letting the boy out of his sight again. Their rooftop meeting had been too short for a proper reunion. One hug and a few warm words were not enough to erase the picture of his brother, broken and bleeding from Dick’s mind.

He needed this. Extended time with his kid brother, and he needed it more than he’d admit to anyone. Unfortunately, it came at a bad time. Any time with Spyral was a bad time, that was what his life had turned into. One busy mess after another, and todays was no different.

It took one very quick sparring session with Tiger between him and Damian to convince the man he could tag along, and then they were off hunting down some piece of tech designed by a French man who’d moved to Spain. It wasn’t the hardest of missions, but the tech was an important acquisition for Spyral. Dick’s interest in anything beyond getting it and letting Tiger take it back to Helena was washed away by the warm presence of the boy next to him, and by the curiosity eating away at Dick as to why he’d come.

Damian did not hunt people halfway across the world because he missed them. Not even Dick. No, he had to have a real reason for coming, and so far he hadn’t said a word of it to him. He continued insisting they get this mission complete before he was willing to expand on any of his reasons.

As happy as he was to see him, and as much as he wanted to just stare at Damian, and burn his face into his memory, and hold him until the heat of his body erased the memory of it being cold, he was kind of happy for the distraction of the mission.

The good thing about their earlier meeting being short was that it was all sweet and none of the pain he didn’t want to face. There was so much between them. Damian might have initially forgiven him for lying about being alive, but it needed to be discussed. Damian’s own death and resurrection had to be gone over, what both of them had been doing in the meantime, and Bruce.

Bruce with his plans and his words and his secrets. Bruce who’d gone to hell and back to get Damian, who’d refused to tell his family that Dick was alive, whose word was iron. Bruce who was the reason Damian had come back to life without Dick by his side. Bruce who couldn’t be yelled at or hit or even chided because he’d gone and lost his memory.

If Dick could, he’d walk away from Spyral right now with Damian by his side and leave. He’d take the kid and go somewhere new. They would be happy, and away from the emotionally stunted family that only seemed to renew pain in circles. They’d be away from fathers who forced separations and magically got away with it. From mothers who were willing to kill their children, and crazed lunatics just as easily tempted to harm a child. He and Damian could be together and safe and most of all happy.

But they wouldn’t. If Dick walked away from Spiral now he’d be a man on the run. He hadn’t finished his mission, and the network hadn’t been neutralized. They knew his face, his name, and his every location, along with those of many of the world’s Superheros. Dick couldn’t leave now.

He also couldn’t take Damian away from the family he’d given up everything, including his life, for. As often as Bruce messed up, he was the kid’s father, and still the best person to raise him. He’d never forget the broken way Damian had lamented not having enough time with him when they thought Bruce was dead, or the stories he’d told Dick of fighting every year to be allowed to meet his father. Allowed, as if it was some kind of prize to be won to meet the man who’d helped bring him into the world. Allowed, like Damian had to work for every bit of goodness in his life. Allowed, like Talia had to make sure he was ready before she’d move his puppet string close to Bruce. No, he couldn’t take him away from Bruce. Even without his memory having him was better than not, and he refused to be the person who didn’t give Damian a choice in his life.

* * *

Damian had to admit, he was not impressed with this ‘mission’ of Grayson’s. Breaking into a man’s work space to steal a piece of technology did not seem like something his brother would do. Though, much of what Grayson was doing these days did not seem to be like his brother.

He understood his Father’s thinking in having Grayson utilize his assumed death, he could even understand his Father’s reasoning behind keeping it a secret. He could not agree with it, but he could understand. What he couldn’t, however, was Grayson agreeing with Father.

Even if he’d agreed temporarily, Grayson would never go through with Father’s plan forever. He didn’t follow orders, and rarely listened to Father. He should have told his family far sooner than he had. So why had he gone so long without them? Was it trauma from his encounter with the Crime Syndicate? Or had Grayson taken this opportunity to distance himself from his family and make a new life for himself?

Damian shook his head, no, his brother would never do that. All the same, he couldn’t figure out the reason. It dug at him, only making his mess of emotions worse. It did not help anything to worry over it, not with a thousand other things buzzing in his head, slowing his actions, and forcing the older men to wait on him to catch up as they moved towards the target’s home.

He shoved aside the extra thoughts, he wanted this mission to be over. As much as he wished to get to know Grayson’s current partner better, he also wished for the man to be gone. He hadn’t come to meet new people or go on an adventure. He’d come because, at last, his brother was back in his life and his entire being was brimming with a need to talk, to feel, to expose emotions only Grayson could understand. This detour was only a frustration put in his way to keep him from expressing himself.

Part of him kept hoping that he could will Grayson to quit this whole thing and turn his attention to him. He’d realized showing up unannounced wouldn’t be expected, but he had hoped that he’d be enough to convince the man to break for him. Apparently, he had been wrong.

Damian didn’t mean to, but he seethed as they moved, and snuck into the man’s house. His irritation grew as Grayson and the Tony, or Tiger, or whoever he was joked. Grayson’s laugher should have been directed his way, and yet he ribbed and teased this other man as if he’d known him for years, when Damian knew that to be a lie. He did not blame Tiger, Grayson could breakdown anyone’s walls and make a friend of them within days. Damian had even seen Grayson do it with a smile.

That did not stop it feeling like a betrayal.

Soon enough they were finished, yet Grayson persisted on standing around in the lobby of a hotel discussing something with Tiger. Damian attempted to get his brother’s attention multiple times, receiving only a, “Wait just a bit longer, Dames.” In response.

He knew it was childish, but Damian had spent months, _months_ , without anyone he could be childish around. Grayson not only permitted the action, but encouraged it as well. Damian would be remiss if he did not take advantage of that particular source of freedom, and he was trying. Only Grayson was foiling him at every turn.

He was not proud of it, but he snapped when Grayson’s talk turned beyond work and to leisure time that did not include Damian.

“If you do not have time for me you should have told me when I arrived.” He turned to leave, his anger and disappointment making him wish he’d never come at all. The feeling swamped him, swallowing all the joy of being near his brother, and all the hope he’d had for this reunion.  

Dick’s hand was on his shoulder immediately, stopping him and turning him so he faced his brother. “Damian, I didn’t mean to make you think that.” He explained, a guilty smile on his face. “I’m sorry, I guess I just fell into old habits.” Dick told him.

Old habits. Habits like he and Grayson had or habits to do with his new partner? Either option hurt right now.

“Right.” Damian said, bitterly. “Of course, _habits_.” He pulled away from Dick, stepping back from his brother.

Tiger cleared his throat, “If you two will excuse me, Matron will be expecting this. Agent 37, I’ll leave it to you to explain to her why you didn’t return with me in your own time.” His tone was that of someone who didn’t care if they heard him or not.

Grayson didn’t even bother to wave him off as he left, instead he sighed. “Damian, please. I didn’t mean it that way. I’ve missed you so much, kiddo.”

“You have a funny way of showing it.” Damian snapped. “I come to see you after the briefest of meetings, after returning from the _dead_ and you want to play spy and chat about the best dining places in Madrid. Excuse me if I don’t see that as missing me.”

“I was trying to be nice!” Dick threw his arms out by his side. “I know how you hate me being mushy and I didn’t want to scare you off, I miss you Damian, and I was willing to try whatever to keep you around for longer than whatever mission sent you here.”

“Mission?” Damian spluttered. “You think I was here on some kind of work? I came to see you, you idiot. I’ve missed you, I have no one to talk to without you home, and—” Damian’s words caught on a sob. “Everything is falling apart. I wanted— I hoped you would listen.”

Dick fell to a knee before him, hands on his shoulders. “Damian, I’m so sorry. You’re right, I am an idiot. I didn’t even listen long enough to find out why you were here, did I?”

Damian shook his head, the tears that had been building almost spilling out with the movement. He sniffed, pulling them back as far as he could. He could not cry now, not in front of Grayson or all the people passing them. Yes, they’d stopped at a relatively unobtrusive spot in the lobby, but that did not stop the lines of people from passing them checking in and out. Neither did it halt the few odd looks passing over both he and Grayson at what they must think was a scene of a father dealing with an upset child.

“Hey,” One of his hands moved to cup Damian’s face. “It’s ok. You can cry, you know I’m not going to judge you for it.”

Even with his words Damian held the tears back. “I missed you so much.” He choked. “I have so much I wanted to say, to tell you, and now that I can everything is a jumble.”

Dick pressed his forehead to Damian’s, “That’s ok. Just tell me whatever comes to mind first.”

Damian closed his eyes and relished the long-forgotten feeling of this closeness. “I had powers.”

He didn’t know why that’s the thought that picked its way to the front of the line, but he went with it. “When Father brought me back, I had superpowers, like Superman. I kept thinking how excited you’d be, how I was like one of your favorite people.”

Dick pulled back to look him in the eyes. “You’ve always been one of my favorite people, powers wouldn’t have changed that.” He grinned. “Though they sound cool. I’m sorry I missed it.”

Damian nodded. “They were, but sometimes late at night they scared me.” He’d never told his father or Pennyworth this, but it felt easy to tell Grayson, like they would have had this conversation if he had been there. “I’d wake up with a cold terror that they would turn on me or I’d lose control and accidentally hurt someone. That if they faded I would too.”

His brother ran his hand through Damian’s hair. “I’m so sorry.” He said, his voice quiet.

“I wanted to tell you. I knew you’d do this, comfort me and tell me it was ok. But every time I wanted to, I remembered you were gone.” Now Damian’s tears started to fall. “It was those moments that hurt the most. The one’s where I realized just how much you meant to me, how strong you made me, and to not have that anymore was worse than any fear I had.”

He swiped a hand across his eyes, trying to stop the tears. “Then I would remember that you were gone, because of me. If I’d been here you would have been ok. So, I tried to become a better person, questing to prove to myself all the faith you had in me was right. I didn’t even say goodbye to father before I left, and now he doesn’t remember me.”

He hiccuped. “All I’ve wanted to do is have you tell me things are going to be okay, and now you’re here.” He looked up into Dick’s face. “Grayson, things are going to be ok, aren’t they?”

* * *

So much. There was so much filling Damian, and Dick hadn’t been there. He’d left to join Spyral and stayed there instead of being there for his baby brother. Guilt swamped him. And now here this child was begging him just to be comforted. Dick hated himself in that moment. He hated what he’d let Bruce talk him into, he hated that he’d let it go on so long. And he hated that he’d failed his baby brother so terribly.

“Of course it is, Damian. Everything will be fine.” He ran his hand through his brother’s hair again.

It was like his words were permission for Damian to finally let go. The tiny stream of tears he’d managed to quell returned in force through a sob, and he fell against Dick’s chest his arms, so small, too small to carry such weight, wrapped around his torso. Dick returned the hug, hoping to pour his strength into his brother.

Damian sobbed into his chest, his tears quickly soaking through his shirt, and Dick realized with a start that they were in a lobby and probably shouldn’t be making such a scene. His eyes darted around the room and to a hallway while he cooed comfort at his brother.

He scooped the boy into his arms, and almost sighed when he didn’t resist. Then hurried to the hallway and opened the first door he found. It was a storage closet, thankfully large enough for them both to fit into.

Dick flipped on the light and ducked inside before he slumped against an open wall. Damian was still clutching at his chest, almost unaware of the change in location. He pressed Damian closer, adjusting him so he was cradled in his lap.

“I love you.” He said. “I love you so much, and I’m so sorry. I’m sorry I left you to deal with all this by yourself. I promise, Damian you’re not alone anymore. I’m here.”

The boy nodded into his chest, the sobs finally abating into gasping breaths that attempted at a deeper control. Dick let him work it out, pressing his face into Damian’s hair.

Dick had often been described as having a sunny disposition, and some people went so far as to call him Batman’s sunshine. And that he was. He could be sunshine for anyone. But the crying boy in his arms was his sunshine.

As moody, and grumpy, and angry as he was he was the light to Dick’s world and that light had been out for far too long. He had taken it for granted when he had it, and done it again today. He would not do that again. He was going to treasure every moment with this boy that he could, and pour every bit of comfort into him that he was able to.

Damian shifted, pulling his face out of Dick’s chest, and wiping ineffectually at his face with the back of his hand. “Sorry.” He mumbled.

He smiled down at his brother. “I've missed you.” He said instead of a response to the apology.

This pulled a small smile from him. “You have informed me.”

“It's still true.” Dick told him, then added. “Your dad enlisted me to help bring you back, you know.”

At the mention of Bruce, Damian stiffened in his arms. “Then why didn't I see you. Why did you let me think you were dead?”

“I didn't get to go to Apokolips, not that I didn't want to. I was still technically dead, so Bruce had me work here, from the shadows.” Dick explained, shifting to lean easier against the wall,

“By the time he got back and brought you back I'd been pulled back into Spyral business. Then things got crazy and I was out of contact for a while. When I did call, I couldn't get ahold of Bruce.” Dick explained. “I was in a bad place and I didn't know what to do. So, I came home, hoping you were alive and that it worked. And I found you.”

Damian looked up into his face, his eyes hopeful. “You wanted to know. You wanted to tell me?”

Dick tangled his fingers in his brother’s hair, he’d never take the feeling of those fine strands sifting through his fingers for granted again. “All I've wanted since the night you died was to be right here, like this. Holding you alive and talking to you again. So, yeah, I wanted to tell you. And I did the moment I knew you were alive.”

Damian snuggled back against him, “I wanted to tell you I was alive. But all I had to talk to was a grave.”

“I know, and I’m so sorry kiddo. But now we've got each other again and nothing's going to change it.”

Damian hummed in approval. Then seemed to finally notice the change of scenery. “Grayson, why are we in a closet?”

Dick chuckled. “I didn’t want the hotel staff thinking something was wrong, and this was the closest private space.”

His brother huffed his annoyance. “Your room is only a few flights up isn’t it? That would have been as easy as breaking into a closet.”

“I didn’t break in. The door was unlocked. We’ll be fine when we leave, this hallway is mostly abandoned anyway.” He hoped. “For now, let’s just stay here a bit. It’s quiet and I don’t want to move.”

They sat together for a moment both of them quiet. Dick let the reality of the situation sink into his bones. Damian was alive and safe and in his arms. He didn’t have to think about all the things he could have done. Didn’t have to blame himself every time he saw a kid his brother’s age anymore. Finally, something good had happened.

Dick’s arms seemed to wrap tighter around Damian on their own, his body curling over the smaller one in his lap. Dick’s chest heaved and he was sobbing before he knew it. Damian squirmed, suddenly worried, his hand pulling at Dick’s shirt.

“Grayson, what's wrong?”

Dick couldn't answer, a wet sob coming out instead, heaving his own hiccupping tears into Damian's hair, and one of Dick’s hands splayed against Damian's chest, above his heart.

“Richard!” Real panic had entered Damian’s voice now, snapping Dick out of his state.

“You're alive.” He said. “Living and breathing and here.” He squished Damian closer. “You aren't a dream or a vision. You won't disappear the moment I let go, you are real and solid and alive.”

His brother stilled in his arms, moving only to return the tight embrace. “As are you.” His voice came out barely a whisper.

Dick croaked out a broken laugh. “We’re a mess, aren’t we?”

“Yes, we are. But for the moment, I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Dick pulled away, already promising himself he’d snuggle his brother close again the moment he was no longer confused. “Why?”

“Because, a mess or not we are both alive. We have time to recover and pull ourselves together, and that is why I’m happy.”

Dick grinned, bright and happy. “When did you get to be so sappy?”

“There was a vacancy, someone had to fill it while you were away.” The gleam in Damian’s eyes told Dick he was being teased, he didn’t care. He pulled his brother close again, pressing his cheek to Damian’s.

“And you chose to fill it? Color me surprised.” Dick said.

“I was the best suited, having spent so much time with you as Robin.” Damian told him, not bothering to attempt to squirm away from Dick as he lifted him again.

“I’m honored then.” Dick said.

“You should be.”

Dick looked down at him again and smiled. “I really did miss you.”

Damian returned the smile. “As did I, Richard.”


End file.
